The Shock Factor

In “The Lottery” Shirley Jackson sets an intense anxious environment – fresh warmth, their jokes were quiet, she held her breath – only to set the reader up for a disgraceful end of a beautiful day. The surrounding area is portrayed as quaint and beautiful. She places a mood of uneasiness in almost every character mentioned throughout the writing. The continuous mentioning of a black box brings a somber attitude to the reader, while questioning the significance …

…job of developing a scheme underneath the joyfulness of the town. There is a great shock factor when the reader realizes that the lottery is individuals drawing a piece of paper to determine if they are going to die that day. The people are merely following through with an outdated ritual. The history of the lottery has faded throughout generations. Old Man Warner said it best, “People ain’t the way they used to be.”